Chapter 125
Chapter 125
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Victory and Mukbang
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I strained to hold back my laughter while watching Kwak Ho-young's dazed expression.
Instead, I laughed endlessly in my mind.
'Hahaha! We win, right? Doesn't that sting? Kekekeke.'
But that was just in my head.
As I stepped out of the tent, I lowered the corners of my eyebrows and said sympathetically,
"Oh dear, you must have had it rough."
"Wh-when did you...?"
Kwak Ho-young stammered in his still-bewildered state.
"Oh, when did we get here? About five hours ago? Right, Guild Master? How long have we been here?"
"It's been five hours and thirty-five minutes."
Kang Han, who had come up beside me, checked his watch and replied.
"That's what it is."
"H-how...?"
"How did we get here so fast? Well, we hustled."
What I really wanted to say was, 'Are you insane, daring to compare your guild to Justice Guild?' but I held back.
There were two cameras nearby filming us.
Conscious of the broadcast cameras, I scanned Mt. Taesan's condition with an even more pitying look.
They must have pushed so hard—their guild members looked like they'd been lost in the dungeon for a week.
Some even seemed injured.
They hadn't taken time to regroup in their desperation to win.
'That's why they lost.'
In their rush, they hadn't even given their team time to treat injuries—just dragged them along blindly.
They probably hadn't rested properly either.
Of course their travel speed would slow down.
The fact that Kwak Ho-young couldn't make that basic rational judgment meant he wasn't fit to be a guild master.
"Haa."
"Why go through all that hell if you were gonna lose anyway?"
"What's this?"
Mt. Taesan Guild's morale had hit rock bottom.
They'd pushed themselves on Kwak Ho-young's assurances of victory, only to lose to us—looking fresh and unscathed. It had to feel empty.
And that emptiness was turning to distrust, visibly directed at Kwak Ho-young, who'd been driving them relentlessly.
'Yeah, what did those guys do wrong?'
They just had a incompetent guild master.
I didn't like Kwak Ho-young, but no need to hate the whole Mt. Taesan Guild for it.
I clapped my hands to change the mood.
"Alright, you've all worked hard—come over to our side and grab some food."
"F-food?"
They hadn't even fed their people, as expected.
No wonder they looked so gaunt.
We'd run hard too, but during breaks, we'd eaten fruit and the jerky we'd packed.
They probably hadn't even had that.
Over a day in the dungeon, without proper rest or meals.
Even in wartime, soldiers get fed.
"Yes! You've just arrived, and setting up tents will take time. Come fill your stomachs first. Honestly, we just had bread while waiting for Mt. Taesan Guild."
This was true.
I wasn't so out of it with victory that I'd forget to build goodwill.
The dungeon had only hunters, but we couldn't forget the viewers watching the broadcast.
"Th-then we'll join you...?"
"If it's not too much trouble, we'll impo—"
"Enough."
It was Kwak Ho-young who doused the budding enthusiasm of Mt. Taesan Guild members shuffling toward us.
"We get that you won, so stop showing off. This isn't a joke."
"No, I meant it sincerely."
"I said enough. Hey, let's go."
"Still, bro... they're offering kindness. This feels wrong."
Surprisingly, Kim Han-kwon stepped up to restrain Kwak Ho-young.
Maybe he had more guild master potential than Kwak.
"Kindness my ass. Can't you see? They're mocking us!"
Well, I had been mocking Kwak in my head, so no comeback there.
"Guild Master, calm down a bit..."
Kim Han-kwon's address shifted from "bro" to "Guild Master."
Did Kwak even notice what that subtle change implied?
He was being unreasonable.
"Listen while I'm being nice, Kim Han-kwon."
"Haa... fine."
At Kwak Ho-young's gritted-teeth command, Kim Han-kwon finally raised his hands in surrender.
He bowed his head to me once, then trudged after Kwak.
The other guild members followed suit.
They couldn't tear their eyes from our base camp, but reluctantly moved to set up tents.
I shrugged at Kang Han.
"Can't be helped if they hate us that much."
"No hard feelings, but I'm disappointed in Kwak Ho-young."
Kang Han seemed genuinely angry at Kwak for prioritizing his emotions over his guild members.
It was a perfect line, even if unintended—like a model guild master.
Wonder how public opinion's shifting now.
I patted Kang Han's shoulder.
"Let's eat too. Bread crumbs aren't cutting it—I'm starving."
"Why didn't you say so earlier? Let's go."
At my words, Kang Han frowned slightly and urged me on as we headed to our tent.
"...What is this, a buffet?"
I muttered unwittingly at the spread.
The camping table was laden like a nine-course banquet.
Kimchi stew bubbling in the center, plus sweet-and-sour pork, soy bulgogi, sausage veggie stir-fry, rolled omelet, and ssam veggies.
The table looked ready to snap.
Seong Yo-na's generosity was legendary.
"Ah, now I'm even hungrier."
"Yeah, the kids must be starving. Let's dig in."
Han Ji-seong, the eldest, ladled extra stew into his plate, starting the hearty meal.
When my turn came to scoop kimchi stew,
"Hot. Let me get it."
Jang Su-ho smoothly took the ladle and filled a bowl with extra pork.
"Oh, sure. Thanks."
As I casually replied and started eating, there were no chopsticks.
"Guess I need to grab some..."
"Use these. They're new."
Suddenly, Kang Han's chopsticks were in my hand.
"I could've gone myself."
"Better not walk for a while. Ice pack here."
Han Ji-seong on my left made ice from thin air, bagged it, and handed it over.
"Mm..."
Was I being treated like an invalid?
But I couldn't refuse the guild members' care.
It tickled a bit—I sipped water, then a plump sausage landed perfectly on my rice.
"Unnie, this is good."
It was Lee Yu-eul.
She smiled brightly, but it was different from usual—obvious as the steaming kimchi stew looking tasty.
"Lee Yu-eul."
"Yes, unnie."
"Who told you to force a smile?"
As expected.
At my firm words, the smile slowly faded from Lee Yu-eul's face.
"Whew."
I sighed involuntarily.
Kids should just act like kids.
I couldn't leave alone those who'd made smiling a habit through hardship or sadness.
"Like I said earlier, just once more: my injury wasn't your fault."
"Still. If I'd stuck by you, unnie, it wouldn't have happened."
Lee Yu-eul bit her lip.
"If we're going there, I wouldn't have gotten hurt so bad if I'd kept my socks on over my shoes. And I told you to go help the others. Right?"
"..."
Lee Yu-eul had no reply.
She just stared down at my now-fine left ankle.
I hated seeing that, so I set down my spoon, grabbed her chin, and lifted her face.
"Am I wrong?"
"...No."
"Then what if I say I'm fine, go help the other guild members?"
Lee Yu-eul struggled to give the answer I wanted.
"You gonna ignore unnie from now on?"
"I-I'll listen."
"Good. Just listen to me—that's enough."
The ankle injury was an accident.
But if coincidences led guild members to doubt or ignore my words, that couldn't happen.
I stared strictly into Lee Yu-eul's unusually deep-colored eyes.
"Unnie..."
Her face flushed slightly as she slowly spoke.
"Why say that while eating kimchi stew?"
Good.
Confirming her sulkiness gone, I smiled satisfied.
"More important than rice. And you kept me from eating... Mmph!"
"So don't worry about Lee Yu-eul and eat."
Suddenly, a yellow rolled omelet popped into my mouth.
It was Lee Yu-chan, frowning gruffly.
"...Tasty."
She got the point by now.
I chewed the salty omelet and tasted the side dishes Lee Yu-eul eagerly placed on my spoon, starting my meal.
Kwak Ho-young's Personality Seems a Bit Off?
JumpingJumping | Views: 24,598
Justice Guild Beats Taesan!!!!!! (HOT!)
RookieHunter | Views: 87,596
A Guild Doing Mukbang Inside a Dungeon? (HOT!)
JungPorterz | Views: 414,578
Someone was watching the Justice Guild-heated free board.
"Caster, Camellia Guild's break is extending. You should rest too."
"Huh? Oh, no. Haven't done much."
Raiding broadcast specialist caster Lee Ki-dae.
Waiting to broadcast Camellia Guild's A-rank dungeon raid, he was surfing the net out of boredom.
He spotted Justice Guild trending online, surpassing Camellia in real-time.
"Justice Guild's name in a while."
Once all the rage but recently facing disbandment rumors—now buzzing again.
Unable to resist curiosity, caster Lee Ki-dae searched YouTube for Justice Guild's raid channel.
Moments later,
He asked a staffer peering at their phone.
"How long's Camellia resting?"
"Uh... injured, probably a while?"
"Yeah? Hmm."
"Why? Heading home?"
"No."
Lee Ki-dae stroked his chin twice, then said,
"Gather resting staff. Let's broadcast Justice Guild."